New Fairfield woman domesticates feral cats

Published 12:18 am, Friday, November 6, 2009

NEW FAIRFIELD -- Feral cats are wild by nature and don't trust human beings, but a New Fairfield woman has proved they can be domesticated.

Ann Hagman already had two pet cats she'd rescued from a shelter when she noticed a bony, little black feral cat roaming her backyard.

She put food outside for it and borrowed a trap from the animal shelter so she could take it for medical treatment.

When she caught the cat, it was completely "petrified," she said. It was so wild, the veterinarians had to sedate it so they could handle it. The cat was crawling with parasites and had a respiratory infection. The vets treated it and called Hagman to let her know they were releasing it back into the wild.

Related Stories

Trap, neuter and release is a process of medically treating and sterilizing feral cats and returning them to the wild. Many animal groups endorse trap, neuter and release as a humane method of managing feral cat populations.

Hagman agrees trap, neuter and release does help mitigate the problem temporarily. But she thinks because humans domesticated cats, they have the responsibility to care for them.

She knew if the black cat were released in her yard, it would most likely end up as coyote food. She decided to take in the cat until someone adopted it.

The cat was not ready to live in a house. Hagman began the long process of domesticating the animal by putting it in her exercise room. The cat hid in its cage whenever Hagman came into room. Hagman spoke in a soft voice and never made direct eye contact with the cat. She never extended her hands.

After two months, Hagman went into the room one day and laid down on the floor. The cat came up and sniffed her face and stroked against her legs. Hagman slowly sat up and the cat came into her lap.

Eventually, she brought the cat into the main part of the house with the other cats. She named it Kittike, and it became a part of the family.

Since then, Hagman has domesticated about 25 other cats for the New Fairfield-Sherman Animal Welfare shelter using the same method. She said one of the hardest parts is resisting the urge to keep them all.

"I'm sorry I can't solve the problem all by myself," Hagman said.

Some cats take up to a year to domesticate. They all require patience, Hagman said, and they must be young. When a feral cat reaches 3 years old, it will probably never learn to trust humans.

"It helps us out a great deal, because a lot of cats she's taken were not very adoptable," Sheri Ruffler, the shelter manager, said. "She's gotten them to a point where they are able to be petted and touched.

"At the shelter we have lots of animals and not much time to devote to each and every one."

Cat adoption has come almost to a standstill, Ruffler said. She didn't attribute the trend to the economy, because people are still adopting dogs.

Someone who wants to domesticate feral cats needs previous experience working with cats, Ruffler said. The shelter provides food and other supplies. Hagman, however, uses thousands of dollars of her own money to care for her foster cats.

The cats have to be kept in a penned-in area, Hagman said.

When asked what she's learned about herself in the process, she said, "I learned I have patience. And also don't sweat the small things."